Multistep Folding Kinetics of Group I Intron RNA Studied by Mg2+-Concentration Jump Simulations

Abstract

RNA molecules can function as enzymes forming specific tertiary structures. Since they are highly charged molecules, mono- and divalent cations are essential for the folding reaction. Mg2+ ions are also often important at specific positions for their catalytic activities. Here, we study multistage folding kinetics of Azoarcus group I intron, which is mediated by Mg2+ cations, by Brownian dynamics simulations using a coarse-grained RNA model with explicit ions [1].